Submitted Neighbourhood Plan Draft

The Plan

The Neighbourhood Plan for Frome was submitted to Mendip District Council on 3rd September 2014. Following the public consultation which was carried out between 28th October 2013 and 31st December 2013, the plan has now been amended in response to the comments that were received from the Statutory Consultees and residents of Frome.

A copy of the submitted plan can be viewed here. A copy of the submitted plan with track changes can be viewed here.

The policies within this plan are based on a significant body of evidence. This is made up of documents which were produced by the Town Council as well as evidence produced by the District Council for the Local Plan. These documents can be viewed below:

Basic Conditions Statement

A basic conditions statement setting out how the draft neighbourhood plan meets the basic conditions must accompany the draft neighbourhood plan when it is submitted to the local planning authority.

The basic conditions state that the plan:

must be appropriate having regard to national policy

must contribute to the achievement of sustainable development

must be in general conformity with the strategic policies in the development plan for the local area

must be compatible with EU obligations including human rights requirements

Strategic Environmnental Assessment

In some limited circumstances, where a neighbourhood plan could have significant environmental effects, it may fall within the scope of the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004 and so require a strategic environmental assessment. One of the basic conditions that will be tested by the independent examiner is whether the making of the neighbourhood plan is compatible with European Union obligations (including under the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive).

A screening report has been prepared for the Neighbourhood plan for Frome, which concludes that a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Plan is not required.

The basic conditions statement and Screening report for the Frome Neighbourhood Plan can be viewed below:-

Next Steps

The local planning authority (Mendip /district Council) must publicise the neighbourhood plan for a minimum of six weeks, invite representations, notify any consultation body referred to in the consultation statement and send the draft neighbourhood plan to independent examination.

The independent examiner will test whether or not the draft neighbourhood plan for Frome meets the basic conditions and will determine whether a hearing will be required to listen to oral representations . The local planning authority will then consider the report and decide whether to send the plan to referendum.

If the majority of those who vote in a referendum are in favour of the draft neighbourhood plan, then the neighbourhood plan must be made (brought into legal force) by the local planning authority